Improvement in machines for cutting sugar-cane



Trice.

ALBERT PHILIPP, OF MAYVILLE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING SUGAR-CANE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,117. dated'Jnne 2l, 1859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PHILIPP, of Mayville, in the county of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Sugar-Cane Cutter; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of a cane-cutter constructed according to my invention, the line or fr, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section; and Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging on each side of the same frame four cutterstwo at such a distance from the ground that they cut the uppe portion of the cane and two close to the bottom and a little behind the two first ones, so that they dont begin to act until the former cutters have done their work, and that by the action of these latter cutters the cane is cut as near to the bottom as is desirable, and the several cutters on the same side of the frame are connected by belts and driven from the same drivin g-wheel, and they are arranged in such relation to forked arms and their shape is such that they draw the cane between the prongs of the forked arms and act on it while it is supported by the arms, and the tops, when out, are carried by an endless apron, while the canes themselves are deposited on a platform behind the wheels by the action of horizontal reels.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents a platform, which rests on the two driving-wheels B B, each of which is provided with a large bevel-wheel, C, which gear into pinions a, which are mounted on arbors b, and these arbors have their bearings in the posts o, which are secured to the under side of v the platform A. Additional platforms C are secured one on each side of the central platform, A, and these platforms are supported on the outside by additional wheels, c. Motion is conveyed from the arbors b to Vertical shafts D by meansof the bevel-gearingsd, and the upper bearings of these shafts are in a separate framing, E, which is supported by the standards e, which are firmly secured to the upper side of the platform A, and their lower bearings arein journal-boxes e', which are secured to the sides of the platform A. A pulley, F, is attached to each of these shafts, from which motion is conveyed to similar shafts, G, by means of belts e", which are crossed, so that the two shafts D and G on each side of the platform Arotate in oppositedirections. Both these shafts Gr have their lower bearings in journal-boxes g', which are attached to thev front sides of the additional platforms C', and their upper bearings are in horizontal arms Eil, which are rigidly attached to standards h, parallel to the framing E. The shafts D and Gr extend below the additional platforms C', and cutters H are secured to their lower ends, and these shafts are at such distances from each other that four rows of cane are out down simultaneously. Arms I are attached to the front edges of the platforms C', and these arms are curved from each other, so that they lead the cane up to the cutters, which, by their peculiar shape, assist in drawing in the canes which are supported by the arms while the cutters act on them.

Secured to the upper ends of the shafts D and G are pulleys t', from which motion is conveyed to similar pulleys,j, by means of belts k, and the pnlleysj are secured to the upper ends of shafts D* and Git, which have their upper bearings in the outer ends of the framing E and of the horizontal arms Er, and their lower bearings are in the outer prongs of forked arms I', the inner prongs serving to support rollers l, which are parallel to horizontal shafts m, which have their bearings in journal-boxes n, which are adjustable by means of screws o, and endless aprons p are stretched over the rollers l and over the shafts m. Motion is conveyed to the shafts m by means of belts m', which extend from the vertical shafts D round the shafts m. The shafts D* and G* are a certain distance before the shafts D and G, and they extend below the forked arms I', so as to leave room for the cutters H', which are secured to the lower extremities of these shafts.

'These cutters are sufficiently elevated above the ground that they cut oif the tops of the canes, which are guided up to the cutters by forked arms I', and the aprons p serveto carry off the tops after they have been cut. The

lower portion of the canes is thrown on the additional platforms G by means of reels J, which are secured to the vertical shafts D G at such a height as appears to be of the greatest advantage for canes of an average size.

The drivers seat K is secured on the platform A, and the draft-animals are hitched to the pole L, and the platforms C are protected by side rails, M, so that the canes dont fall over the additional wheels c.

The operation is as follows: The machine is drawn through aield planted with sugar-cane, andas the upper cutters, H', come in contact with the cane they draw them in between the prongs of the arms M, and thev tops of four canesare cut simultaneously, and these tops are deposited on the endless aprons p and carried off. After the tops of the canes have thus been out the lower cutters begin to act, and the canes are cutat such a distance above the ground as may be determined by the position given to the cutters H, and the canes are now deposited on the platforms C by the action ot' the reels J.

This invention not only does the work very quick, four rows of cane being cut down simultaneously, but it also takes but little power comparatively, as the four upper cutters act iirst,`and the lower cutters only begin to act when the upper ones have` done their work, and as the tops are'cut oft' before the canes are deposited on the platforms C the canes are ready for bundling without subjecting them to any further operation. i

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the cutters H with the forked armsl and with the endless aprons p, in combination with the cutters H, the forked arms I, the reels J, and the additional platvforms C', to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose speciied.

ALBERT PHILIPP.

Witnesses:

CHARLES RUEDEBUSGH, J ULrUs C. UBERT. 

